Can Marketing Benefits from Headless Architecture
The answer is very much so. Headless architecture frees up the front end to limitless customization. The sky becomes the limit when you are not restricted to the custom templates of traditional e-commerce architecture. Traditional e-commerce platforms rigidly link the front end to the back end, meaning that changes made to the front must account for the back end and vice versa. The platform was really only designed to cater to websites and perhaps native mobile apps. Headless architecture is a vast improvement on this. Going headless means that you can change the front end without having to worry about the back end. But what does that mean for marketing?
1. Omnichannel Integration
In 2015, a Harvard Business Review study found that 73% of shoppers used multiple channels to purchase products. Today, the number of channels customers use to shop is increasing as the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to gain traction. That creates the problem of how to reach the customer in their chosen medium, whether it’s a phone, computer, social media, Chabot, smart display, digital signage, or any other new interface. One example is Burger king’s digital menu board.
Headless architecture solves that problem by allowing you to construct different channels seamlessly without lengthy development periods. You will be able to reach your customers in their preferred channels quickly, meaning you don’t have to cede ground to the competition.
2. Create Custom Websites
One of the ways you can create innovative customer experiences is by tailoring your website to match your customer’s tastes. You do not have to content yourself with the same looking online storefronts that traditional e-commerce platforms provide. Being able to change the front end without affecting the back end allows you to be creative in making a unique website that helps you stand out from the competition. This will be possible across all apps and platforms that the shopper chooses to be on. On a traditional commerce platform, this type of customization is hard to pull off.
3. A/B Testing
It is helpful to try out different variations of a page to get to know your customer’s preferences better. A/B testing done through headless architecture is made all the easier thanks to its limitless customizability without having to worry that you’ll break the website. Because you can test quickly and efficiently, you’ll be able to remove the guesswork out of new designs or UI choices.
4. Future-Proofing
At some point, your web store will start to feel old and dated. If you are on traditional e-commerce architecture, the lengthy process of updating your front-end-user experience will be an uphill task because of how connected it is to the back-end. It will take a long time for the developers to update both the front and back end simultaneously. In the meantime, your marketing team will be stuck waiting on those new amazing features promised by the latest update to the traditional e-commerce platform. It’s a less-than-ideal scenario.
Headless architecture, on the other hand, allows you to add new technologies, touchpoints, or applications as needed. It will enable you to constantly iterate and gauge your customer’s response to each new change. That way, you are continually improving. No longer do you have to say, “I want to implement it, but my e-commerce platform won’t support it” Going headless will also enable you to quickly respond to sale opportunities by deploying personalized offers or other incentives using customer data available through API requests, e.g., purchase history and wish lists.
6. Faster Load Speeds
A study by the Aberdeen Group discovered that a one-second delay in loading leads to 11% fewer page views, a 7% loss in customer conversions, and 16% less customer satisfaction. Making a website fast and responsive should therefore be a priority for any e-commerce site. Headless architecture improves site speed by shifting some back-end duties to the front end, e.g., content management and payments integration. The result is less burden on the back end, which improves the overall speed, meaning you get to keep your customers happy.
7. Be First on the Market
It pays to be first. The headless architecture platform allows developers and content teams to build and deploy fast. They are not constrained by the rigidity of traditional commerce platforms, which is excellent for creating value for the customer and meeting ROI objectives. The flexibility of headless platforms also allows for better collaboration between the developers and content creators, making for a more polished end product.
Conclusion
As end-users continue to find new ways of consuming media, the way it is presented to them will also have to adapt and change. Traditional commerce platforms don’t offer the kind of seamless operation that businesses need today. Headless architecture will revolutionize the way companies manage their online operations, marketing, and updates. It is not a fad; rather, it’s a new and better way of doing things.
